President Bush nominated Army Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute to tackle the role of czar for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Lute currently serves at the Joint Staff director of operations. His actual title would be assistant to the president and deputy national security advisor for Iraq and Afghanistan, if he wins Senate confirmation. As the President describes the job, Lute would make certain that US Central Command boss Adm. William Fallon and commanders in Afghanistan and Iraq get what they need “quickly and reliably.” Bush had approached some retired officers to take the post, but they declined.
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
